Drop bar setup won't make the bike lighter. Flat bars are ligther, for the same type and thickness of material. Drop bars are mainly for aero, there are no aero advatnages to be gained on a folding bike by going drop bar. Drop bar brake levers and shifters are also more expensive. Drop bar is also detrimental to the portability of the folding bike, which is the main point of having a foldie.
Indeed, you get much lower and further out front that way, which makes for better aerodynamics and more weight on the front tire. I would say handling is relatively comparable to a road bike with the same geometry, just a bit more flexing. I liked riding it, even on two hour rides :)
You refitted stem post in a different inclination so it folds forwards? I always thought it tapered forward so refitting at a different angle would make it lean to side etc. Nice end result though. 😊
Thank you very much :) Some stems fo, but this one went straight up and this was the position that allowed for the tiniest folding size (and the strongest lateral stiffness).
Wow, that stem solution (using a super narrow 32cm and then cutting the actual “outer” folding stem) is super interesting. What I don’t understand is how the folding stem folds directly over the front wheel. My understanding is that the majority of these folding stems have a slight deviation (~10 degrees) from the axis of the fork, and they’re designed to fold to the left or the right. How did you manage to get it to fold directly over the front wheel? Thanks!!
CHALLENGE: Can you make a folding bike into a gravel bike while maintaining its foldability? I've tried but a full rigid with the new folding stems feels frightening! How to make the stem stronger?
You might have to go custom with stem or frame then. The single beam design or a lot of folding bikes leads to a lot of flex, so something like a Moulton could help there. If you could design a stem with oversized diameter and clamping area, that would also greatly improve stability.
Have you seated the tire properly, do there are no high or low spots when it turns? Also a smaller tire will have less air volume and will need to be pumped up more, so will give a harsher and less forgiving ride.
@@richardware9676 so I looked and the tire is not seated properly. I added soap to the bead and pumped it to 100psi and still got t does not seat properly. Im scared to pump it past 100psi because I don’t want the tube to explode. Thoughts?
3 reasons: Weight, Look ( didn´t like the original shifter or other solutions) and a Way to try out something new (reminiscent of the old downtube-shifter). Worked quite well :)
I don´t know where you live, but type in 1 1/4 31,8 mm steerer like this: www.ebay.de/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313&_nkw=1+1%2F4+31%2C8+vorbau&_sacat=0 and you will find some :)
Hi! I have a 1x8s folding bike that I wanted to convert similar to what you did, but I wanted to use hydraulic brakes. Can you recommend which STI, Shimano RD and Shimano Hydraulic brakes should I use. Thanks!
Why would you want to? Anyways, there are some, mostly older, stems that had built in suspension, but I wouldn't bet on there being one with the needed steerer diameter. Other than that gel stickers under the handlebar tape and/or wrapping this around twice.
@@richardware9676 I need it because I putted a motor on the bike and I travel countries with it. In none white countries, back roads are more for 4wheels trucks than for bicycle. And my average speed is 50 km an hour.
Got a 20" Giant Halfway folder down to 9.2 kg too. I'ts now hella fast. I am goint to upgrade it to a cluch derailleur because the chain tends to fall off when going faaast. Might make it Tubeless too, however I had mixed results in the past because of my weight (100kg plus). Sidewalls where just not cutting it, however that was on my 16" folder which I now setup for comfort.
@@richardware9676 they are not. However using enough tape will cover the seems and make them compatible. The only problem I found was that the sidewalls of tires (at least with my 16" bike) squirm to much. I could avoid it by using more pressure, which was not the aim of my expiriment. Recently Schwalbe put out some tubeless specific tires in 406 and I do want to give that a try. It makes the ride really comfortable. Only thing I'm concerned about is that the geometry is quite heavily leaning forward. I had to use the longest carbon seatpost available to get it up to my leg length, which puts my weight even more backwards. I'm am now also looking into a headset slackener. As you can read, it is a nice hobby to have. Haha.
@@roeland1205 Thanks for sharing, I might now give Tubeless a try in this form factor! Yes unfortunatly these bikes create quite long leavers but I´ll see what I can do about that :)
I have a folding bike that I replaced its stock seat post with a kinetkt suspension seat post. The problem is, the seat post isn't long enough. My plan is to use a bmx seat post extender, but cut the seat post extender using a pipe cutter the way you did in the video so it is just the right height, then insert my suspension seat post back into it. Do you see any problem/stability issue with this? I also want to have a relatively heavy saddle bag hanging from the seat/seat post (a mr. fusion one).
Hello, how far do you plan on inserting your Kinect seatpost into the post extender? Since seatposts with folding bikes make for quite a lever, I would go overboard with leaving as much material as possible in both holes. There should be sufficient safety margin, but keep in mind that neither the Kinect seatpost nor the seatpost extender were probably made for such extreme scenarios, so things like wall thickness will also be pushed. To be honest, I would advice against it, especially with the suspension element up top AND a relatively heavy saddle bag. I would try to find a single seatpost with the right measurements and hang no more than 5 kg on that. It does depend on your weight as well though - I have just found that with folding bikes the seatpost flex is quite dramatic and leads to a washed out or even dangerous riding feel if not properly tuned.
@@richardware9676 Right, I couldn't find a suspension seat post longer than 430mm unfortunately, but since then I learned that a 30 degree knee bend when pedaling is actually ok so maybe I don't need a longer seat post after all. The seatpost is aluminum but the frame of the bicycle is carbon, so I got some carbon assembly paste to apply to the seatpost (it keeps slipping down when I ride it), and maybe try a different post clamp. Its hard because since the whole frame is carbon there is nowhere to mount anything but I need to carry some stuff for touring so I can camp places.
@@matthewcain2880 I honestly never had problems with well set up V-Brakes of any kind, as long as the attachment points are stiff enough and the brake shoes of reasonable quality. Can't go wrong with Deore XT BR-M739 in my opinion. BTW, were you the one wanting to build up a Halfway?
@@richardware9676 ty for the recommendations. No, but I have asked quite a few questions about folding bikes. I did replace my crankset with a 58t litepro
*Next ditch that old friction riddled square taper crankset for a hollowtech, then that bike will be even faster. I lucked up and found my hollowtech crankset with bottom bracket for $24 with free shipping on amazon.*
To each their won I would say - I can reach the shifter very comfortably, naturally the same as when I would reach for the bottle. And I don´t need a bottle there because I use the bikes for short to medium sprints, usually no more 25km, though more would of course be doable. Depends on each riders goals :)
Usually there is a manufacturers listing of NM on the saddle or some instructions provided. In this case there was no such thing, so I just tightened them by feel and until I felt like the saddle was going nowhere.
a part of me wishes that i bought a folding bike before.. it wouldve given me the opportunity to compete in triathlons and duathlons in more areas i can travel on a bus with
I love folding bikes but light or heavy, the speed on FLATS doesn't really improve, in my experience. I remembered pedaling like crazy (over 100 rpm) just to reach 40 kph. On climbs, yeah it helps a lot if it's light, no doubt about it.
You would need a bigger front chainring to go faste so you don´t spin out as you have described. In the flat, weight does not have a big effect, and downhill it might even be useful. But when going uphill, and carrying the bike, it helps a lot :)
Thanks :) That can have multiple reasons, but for road use this setup is completely fine. Even when folded, carrying and dropping it one the ground they chain will stay on there.
Geil gemachtes Video, cooles Projekt! Spannend zu sehen wie man sein Klapprad umbauen kann bzw du das machst. Ich überlege schon länger zumindest eine Sache zu machen: Das Kettenblatt zu wechseln so wie du. Kann man da eigentlich "alles was dranschraubbar ist" nehmen oder gibt es dann Komplikationen auf Seite der Schaltung von der Kettenlänge her oder mit den Ritzeln? Das frage ich mich schon lange, konnte über google keine zufriedenstellende Antwort kriegen.
Hallo und danke für das Lob! Solltest du so wie ich eine 5-Arm-Kurbel haben, dann kannst du alle Kettenblätter dran schrauben, die den gleichen Lochkreisabstand und 5 Aufnahmen haben. Hinsichtlich der Kettenlänge kannst du das mit einem Kettenlängenrechner genau ermitteln. Bei mir hat sogar ein 63er Blatt von der Kettenlänge noch gepasst, das ist aber von Fall zu Fall unterschiedlich. Im Zweifels- oder Notfall kosten Ketten (oder zwei zusammenzufügen) auch nicht so viel. Ich würde es einfach ausprobieren - falls es nicht funktioniert, kannst du zwischenzeitlich wieder das alte Kettenblatt drauf schrauben.
@@richardware9676 Danke auch nochmal für die informative Antwort! Das ist ja super :o) Nachdem mir mein altes Klapp- (und Haupt-)Rad geklaut wurd sollte morgen "das Nächste" ankommen (hatte das von Decathlon und war fast wunschlos zufrieden). Beim Alten hat mich eigentlich nur das Gestrampel gestört und ein Tragegriff gefehlt. Neues hat Tragegriff, die Übersetzung ist minimal schlechter, aber dann bin ich jetzt beruhigt das selber machen zu können! Ganz vielleicht kommt es auch - inspiriert von dir - zum Video, LG aus Berlin
@@richardware9676 Mhh, bei dem frisch angekommenen Klapprad ist das Kettenblatt und die Kurbel irgendwie "ein" Teil, ich sehe am Kettenblatt gar keine Schrauben. Das Kettenblatt hat aber Bohrungen mit 110mm Lochkreisabstand. Weiß jetzt nicht ob ich da einfach ein Zweites anschrauben und die Kette einfach da drauflegen kann oder die ganze Kurbelgarnitur auswechseln sollte. Weißt du was ich meine? Ich zeig das mal Kollegen oder nem Händler und lass mir was einfallen
@@nicolasjochem1814 Hey, also entweder ist es genietet, dann weißt es einfach keine Schrauben auf, oder tatsächlich einteilig, also wo Kurbel und Kettenblatt eine Einheit bilden. Ein zweites anzuschrauben wäre optisch verwerflich, müsste auch mit Distanzscheiben geschehen und die Kettenlinie ruinieren. Per Ferndiagnose ist es leider schwierig festzustellen, ob du die Nieten ausbohren könntest oder die Kurbelgarnitur wechseln müsstest. Viel Erfolg in jedem Fall!
What tyres are they. Can you send a link to them and also the handlebars. Have Dahon vybe and want to turn into a road bike. Please advise! Thanks in advance
Nice video, interesting sideways mounting of that downtube shifter. This is just an 8-speed bike? Never heard of Curtis, they appear to do custom bikes only, although I don't see any folders on ther website. This looks like a clone of my Dahon Mu P24. A lot of thought went into it, I would never strip it like this. Makes more sense to keep it stock and have a seperate race bike. 700C wheels are much faster than 20" wheels could ever be.
It is in fact a 7 speed bike :) I´m of the opinion that for recreational purposes 2-3 good gears are worth more to me than 22 could with the associated weight, complexity and finances required to maintain. Curtis, Cyco, Dahon, Tern, they all seem to have the same frames done in Asia, sometimes with a different hinge mechanism (some might also be the product of so called "3rd shifts"). In germany Curtis and Cyco are sold in large department and discounter stores and can therefore be aquired quite cheaply (especially on the used market). And in terms of gaining speed the 20" wheels will outdo most normal 700C-wheels. After that most of it is gearing and aerodynamics, wherein there are no large differences. I can ride mine almost as fast on an 1 hour ride as my race bike. It also makes sense to have a light folding bike, actually more than having a light race bike if you live in an area without big climbs. Keep on riding!
Wow, I learned a whole bunch.....cutting a few grams here and there.... how about I just lose 20 pounds off my mid section? Ha ha ha. Still a great job!! Thanks. Peace Be To Journey!
try to get rid of that solid tapper BB & Crank Set and upgrade to hollow BB & Crank Set, that's will saves you another approximately 700g!! absolutely below 9kg in total weight !!!
Definetly a good idea (though I suspect that it would probably save me closer to 300-400g)! For my use case it was too much, but lets see, perhaps I´ll build one under 8 kg some day? ;)
A lot! The bigger gearing helps a lot and the more aerodynamic position of the rider with the drop bars and stem likewise. I later put even a 58T chainring on there.
@@matthewcain2880 I do not have the bike anymore, but it was set up as a 7 speed, original cassette. Depending on the hub you could add more gears, depending on the shifter used. That and a hollow bottom bracket and cranked would be good tuning options.
@@richardware9676 ty for getting back to me, I’m new to fixing bikes. I bought a folding bike and would like to make it faster but also be able to climb up steep hills. What chain ring size and cassette (7/10) would you recommend? Ty!
@@matthewcain2880 Sure! That will really depend on your preferences. In general I would say that going with 2 chainrings in the front will give you a better range extension towards both ends than just with a cassette - but that will also need a second shifter, front derailleur and suitable crankset plus second chainring. Other than that, get the biggest cassette you can fit on your hub (keeping in mind the size limitations of your rear derailleur) and use a gear calculator to find the right size chainring for you. Also keep in mind that with front and rear cogs beeing bigger, you will at some point need a longer chain.
@@richardware9676 dont take me the wrong way here haahah, it just looks so uncanny, but i would love to see a video of you riding it and reviewing its performance
I have a strong suspicion that these frames are beeing turned out by the same factories as Dahon and Tern - only the details are different. Anyways, do you know off a better suiting bike at 9.4 kg in Road Racer-Configuration at 1/4 the price of a Tern Verge X18?
I've been riding this bike for about a month th-cam.com/users/postUgkxwC0IIeIomGQVeBWg-kKJaToZkLEFIA2W and a half now and I think it's fantastic. It helps me get to work on time every day since I'm able to fit it inside of public transportation rush hour. The price is great too, people are always shocked when they ask me how much I paid for the fold up and I tell them "200". It's easy to fold and installation when it ships is insanely easy. All you have to install when the bike arrives is one foot pedal, everything else is done for you. I do recommend you carry some sort of wrench to tighten any loose screws on the handle bar and seat whenever they get a little bit loose. Other than that I think it's a fantastic bike. Easily fits in the home, can fit inside a car trunk and can even fit in subway rush hour.
I've been riding this bike for about a month th-cam.com/users/postUgkxwC0IIeIomGQVeBWg-kKJaToZkLEFIA2W and a half now and I think it's fantastic. It helps me get to work on time every day since I'm able to fit it inside of public transportation rush hour. The price is great too, people are always shocked when they ask me how much I paid for the fold up and I tell them "200". It's easy to fold and installation when it ships is insanely easy. All you have to install when the bike arrives is one foot pedal, everything else is done for you. I do recommend you carry some sort of wrench to tighten any loose screws on the handle bar and seat whenever they get a little bit loose. Other than that I think it's a fantastic bike. Easily fits in the home, can fit inside a car trunk and can even fit in subway rush hour.
Drop bar setup won't make the bike lighter. Flat bars are ligther, for the same type and thickness of material.
Drop bars are mainly for aero, there are no aero advatnages to be gained on a folding bike by going drop bar. Drop bar brake levers and shifters are also more expensive. Drop bar is also detrimental to the portability of the folding bike, which is the main point of having a foldie.
it says "turn your folding bike into a folding RACE bike"
Nice workshop! Great job!
Thanks a lot!
Beautiful bike well done
Thank you :)
Great result! I did something similar to my sister's folding Dawes Kingpin in the 1970's. It got a lot of admiration at school.
With a name like that it is no wonder ;)
really wish to see a video on riding this bike. i love the " bottle cage " gear shift idea really wanna see how it function when u are riding
I wish I had filmed it in action! The shifting worked great though!
2:10, why not change to a lightweight cassette? Bad price vs weight combos?
NO! Ric.. NO!
You've made the perfect city bike to road bike. What have you done?!
I love city bike..(sobbing)
Well, you can always rebuild it ;)
@@richardware9676 lol
🚲 OK 👍 From Cucuta city in Colombia 🇨🇴 South America
When u put in a long stem and dropbars, do u change the riding geometry of the bike? How does it handle after your upgrade?
Indeed, you get much lower and further out front that way, which makes for better aerodynamics and more weight on the front tire. I would say handling is relatively comparable to a road bike with the same geometry, just a bit more flexing. I liked riding it, even on two hour rides :)
how is a mudguard turning into a relic of a time long gone? rain stops? i hope not
where is the riding video?
I forgot to take one, next time ;)
Make one! We wanna see it! 👍🏾✨
And pedal?
@@richardware9676 please do!
@@richardware9676 riding video!!
You refitted stem post in a different inclination so it folds forwards? I always thought it tapered forward so refitting at a different angle would make it lean to side etc. Nice end result though. 😊
Thank you very much :) Some stems fo, but this one went straight up and this was the position that allowed for the tiniest folding size (and the strongest lateral stiffness).
Wow, that stem solution (using a super narrow 32cm and then cutting the actual “outer” folding stem) is super interesting. What I don’t understand is how the folding stem folds directly over the front wheel. My understanding is that the majority of these folding stems have a slight deviation (~10 degrees) from the axis of the fork, and they’re designed to fold to the left or the right.
How did you manage to get it to fold directly over the front wheel? Thanks!!
I have bought myself a very basic folding bike; do you think you can help me to find the right modifications?
I could certainly give it a try - what are you working with and what do you want to make out of it?
CHALLENGE: Can you make a folding bike into a gravel bike while maintaining its foldability?
I've tried but a full rigid with the new folding stems feels frightening! How to make the stem stronger?
You might have to go custom with stem or frame then. The single beam design or a lot of folding bikes leads to a lot of flex, so something like a Moulton could help there. If you could design a stem with oversized diameter and clamping area, that would also greatly improve stability.
cool that's exactly what I'm thinking on doing on a cheap folding bike I'm going to buy from going around the town
Have a go, it's a lot of fun!
its so cool, i have a similiar bike and i felt like doing it too
Do it, it is well worth it!
Hi! I bought Schwalbe one tube tires and now when I ride it is very bumpy. Would you happen to know why this is? Ty!
Have you seated the tire properly, do there are no high or low spots when it turns?
Also a smaller tire will have less air volume and will need to be pumped up more, so will give a harsher and less forgiving ride.
@@richardware9676 so I looked and the tire is not seated properly. I added soap to the bead and pumped it to 100psi and still got t does not seat properly. Im scared to pump it past 100psi because I don’t want the tube to explode. Thoughts?
@@richardware9676 so I went past 100psi and it popped right into place, Ty !!
@@matthewcain2880 Great! Have fun riding!
I didn't get it why did you placed the shifter at the bottle cage area. Any reason?
3 reasons: Weight, Look ( didn´t like the original shifter or other solutions) and a Way to try out something new (reminiscent of the old downtube-shifter). Worked quite well :)
You did a great job transforming your bike, and me and my brother want to do the same.
How much faster can you go .
Thanks a lot! The bike is now almost as fast as a regular road race bike, and a lot faster than that in the city. Have fun building up your bikes!
No pedals?
I hadn´t decided about which pedals to mount at the time :)
I can't find an 11/4 to 38.1 mm stem anywhere!!! Can you please, please send a link. Many thanks. Love these mods.
I don´t know where you live, but type in 1 1/4 31,8 mm steerer like this: www.ebay.de/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313&_nkw=1+1%2F4+31%2C8+vorbau&_sacat=0 and you will find some :)
Did you put headset lock on the stem?
No need, the stem is a bolt-in one at the bottom before the hinge. :)
Hi! I have a 1x8s folding bike that I wanted to convert similar to what you did, but I wanted to use hydraulic brakes. Can you recommend which STI, Shimano RD and Shimano Hydraulic brakes should I use. Thanks!
Great job.
How much did it cost?
Thanks! Around 400 Euros including the bike (100) :)
A must have!!
Any idea on how to put suspension on the handle bar?
Why would you want to? Anyways, there are some, mostly older, stems that had built in suspension, but I wouldn't bet on there being one with the needed steerer diameter. Other than that gel stickers under the handlebar tape and/or wrapping this around twice.
@@richardware9676 I need it because I putted a motor on the bike and I travel countries with it. In none white countries, back roads are more for 4wheels trucks than for bicycle. And my average speed is 50 km an hour.
@@mathieutallard6328 That's fast! Perhaps you can build a suspension stem yourself?
Got a 20" Giant Halfway folder down to 9.2 kg too. I'ts now hella fast. I am goint to upgrade it to a cluch derailleur because the chain tends to fall off when going faaast. Might make it Tubeless too, however I had mixed results in the past because of my weight (100kg plus). Sidewalls where just not cutting it, however that was on my 16" folder which I now setup for comfort.
Amazing weight difference, I can imagine! I also had Giant Halfway, but I didn´t know that you could make the original wheels Tubeless-compatible?
@@richardware9676 they are not. However using enough tape will cover the seems and make them compatible. The only problem I found was that the sidewalls of tires (at least with my 16" bike) squirm to much. I could avoid it by using more pressure, which was not the aim of my expiriment. Recently Schwalbe put out some tubeless specific tires in 406 and I do want to give that a try. It makes the ride really comfortable. Only thing I'm concerned about is that the geometry is quite heavily leaning forward. I had to use the longest carbon seatpost available to get it up to my leg length, which puts my weight even more backwards. I'm am now also looking into a headset slackener. As you can read, it is a nice hobby to have. Haha.
@@roeland1205 Thanks for sharing, I might now give Tubeless a try in this form factor! Yes unfortunatly these bikes create quite long leavers but I´ll see what I can do about that :)
@roeland1205 @richardware9676 did either of you try tubeless 406? I am thinking about the same thing using wide, supple (tubeless) BMW tires!
I have a folding bike that I replaced its stock seat post with a kinetkt suspension seat post. The problem is, the seat post isn't long enough. My plan is to use a bmx seat post extender, but cut the seat post extender using a pipe cutter the way you did in the video so it is just the right height, then insert my suspension seat post back into it. Do you see any problem/stability issue with this? I also want to have a relatively heavy saddle bag hanging from the seat/seat post (a mr. fusion one).
Hello, how far do you plan on inserting your Kinect seatpost into the post extender? Since seatposts with folding bikes make for quite a lever, I would go overboard with leaving as much material as possible in both holes. There should be sufficient safety margin, but keep in mind that neither the Kinect seatpost nor the seatpost extender were probably made for such extreme scenarios, so things like wall thickness will also be pushed. To be honest, I would advice against it, especially with the suspension element up top AND a relatively heavy saddle bag. I would try to find a single seatpost with the right measurements and hang no more than 5 kg on that. It does depend on your weight as well though - I have just found that with folding bikes the seatpost flex is quite dramatic and leads to a washed out or even dangerous riding feel if not properly tuned.
@@richardware9676 Right, I couldn't find a suspension seat post longer than 430mm unfortunately, but since then I learned that a 30 degree knee bend when pedaling is actually ok so maybe I don't need a longer seat post after all. The seatpost is aluminum but the frame of the bicycle is carbon, so I got some carbon assembly paste to apply to the seatpost (it keeps slipping down when I ride it), and maybe try a different post clamp. Its hard because since the whole frame is carbon there is nowhere to mount anything but I need to carry some stuff for touring so I can camp places.
Great job 👍
sir..what material for the body??alluminium or steel?
Hello, this frame is Aluminium, which is lighter than steel and most modern foldable bikes will use this material.
@@richardware9676 tq sir
@@haniflaminhaniflamin7225 You're welcome :)
Do you have any recommendations for good brakes? The stock brakes I have never seem to make a complete stop no matter how much I adjust them. Ty much!
Do you mean for the Halfway or the bike in the video?
@@richardware9676 just good v brakes that work on any folding bike.
@@matthewcain2880 I honestly never had problems with well set up V-Brakes of any kind, as long as the attachment points are stiff enough and the brake shoes of reasonable quality. Can't go wrong with Deore XT BR-M739 in my opinion.
BTW, were you the one wanting to build up a Halfway?
@@richardware9676 ty for the recommendations. No, but I have asked quite a few questions about folding bikes. I did replace my crankset with a 58t litepro
@@matthewcain2880 You are most welcome :)
How is that crankset?
*Next ditch that old friction riddled square taper crankset for a hollowtech, then that bike will be even faster. I lucked up and found my hollowtech crankset with bottom bracket for $24 with free shipping on amazon.*
Hey good idea, will do it for my next project :)
Awesome! Thanks for these ideas
Single speed would be lighter. I'm working on mine right now.
True, but less useable :) Gears are faster unless you are in the velodrome.
No need to use dropbars since the handlebar is already low
It's ore about different (and more aerodynamic) grip variations :)
u missed showing the part where u connect your shifter cable
KILLER!!!!!😁
Putting the shifter there is useless, also you wont be able to reach it comfortably, just put it back to the bars so that a bottle cage can be useful.
To each their won I would say - I can reach the shifter very comfortably, naturally the same as when I would reach for the bottle. And I don´t need a bottle there because I use the bikes for short to medium sprints, usually no more 25km, though more would of course be doable. Depends on each riders goals :)
Hi! How tight can you go with the seatpost clamp on a carbon fiber? Thanks
Usually there is a manufacturers listing of NM on the saddle or some instructions provided. In this case there was no such thing, so I just tightened them by feel and until I felt like the saddle was going nowhere.
Yep, it's a little concerning when it comes to carbon seatpost, avoiding overtightening them
a part of me wishes that i bought a folding bike before.. it wouldve given me the opportunity to compete in triathlons and duathlons in more areas i can travel on a bus with
I love folding bikes but light or heavy, the speed on FLATS doesn't really improve, in my experience. I remembered pedaling like crazy (over 100 rpm) just to reach 40 kph. On climbs, yeah it helps a lot if it's light, no doubt about it.
You would need a bigger front chainring to go faste so you don´t spin out as you have described. In the flat, weight does not have a big effect, and downhill it might even be useful. But when going uphill, and carrying the bike, it helps a lot :)
Most important step: Get Superman to do it for you in under 8 minutes.
Love it :D
The dahon mu sl weighs 9kg, production bike. Dont know whats your problem...
It looks like you will drop chain like crazy with that chainring.
Not at all, no issues - the size difference has no impact :)
@@richardware9676 I've always had problems when using normal chainrings without front derailleur. Anyway, nice video.
Thanks :) That can have multiple reasons, but for road use this setup is completely fine. Even when folded, carrying and dropping it one the ground they chain will stay on there.
Geil gemachtes Video, cooles Projekt! Spannend zu sehen wie man sein Klapprad umbauen kann bzw du das machst. Ich überlege schon länger zumindest eine Sache zu machen: Das Kettenblatt zu wechseln so wie du. Kann man da eigentlich "alles was dranschraubbar ist" nehmen oder gibt es dann Komplikationen auf Seite der Schaltung von der Kettenlänge her oder mit den Ritzeln? Das frage ich mich schon lange, konnte über google keine zufriedenstellende Antwort kriegen.
Hallo und danke für das Lob! Solltest du so wie ich eine 5-Arm-Kurbel haben, dann kannst du alle Kettenblätter dran schrauben, die den gleichen Lochkreisabstand und 5 Aufnahmen haben. Hinsichtlich der Kettenlänge kannst du das mit einem Kettenlängenrechner genau ermitteln. Bei mir hat sogar ein 63er Blatt von der Kettenlänge noch gepasst, das ist aber von Fall zu Fall unterschiedlich. Im Zweifels- oder Notfall kosten Ketten (oder zwei zusammenzufügen) auch nicht so viel. Ich würde es einfach ausprobieren - falls es nicht funktioniert, kannst du zwischenzeitlich wieder das alte Kettenblatt drauf schrauben.
@@richardware9676 Danke auch nochmal für die informative Antwort! Das ist ja super :o)
Nachdem mir mein altes Klapp- (und Haupt-)Rad geklaut wurd sollte morgen "das Nächste" ankommen (hatte das von Decathlon und war fast wunschlos zufrieden). Beim Alten hat mich eigentlich nur das Gestrampel gestört und ein Tragegriff gefehlt. Neues hat Tragegriff, die Übersetzung ist minimal schlechter, aber dann bin ich jetzt beruhigt das selber machen zu können! Ganz vielleicht kommt es auch - inspiriert von dir - zum Video,
LG aus Berlin
@@nicolasjochem1814 Gerne doch und mach daraus gerne ein Video, ich gucke es mir auf jeden Fall an!
@@richardware9676 Mhh, bei dem frisch angekommenen Klapprad ist das Kettenblatt und die Kurbel irgendwie "ein" Teil, ich sehe am Kettenblatt gar keine Schrauben. Das Kettenblatt hat aber Bohrungen mit 110mm Lochkreisabstand. Weiß jetzt nicht ob ich da einfach ein Zweites anschrauben und die Kette einfach da drauflegen kann oder die ganze Kurbelgarnitur auswechseln sollte. Weißt du was ich meine? Ich zeig das mal Kollegen oder nem Händler und lass mir was einfallen
@@nicolasjochem1814 Hey, also entweder ist es genietet, dann weißt es einfach keine Schrauben auf, oder tatsächlich einteilig, also wo Kurbel und Kettenblatt eine Einheit bilden. Ein zweites anzuschrauben wäre optisch verwerflich, müsste auch mit Distanzscheiben geschehen und die Kettenlinie ruinieren. Per Ferndiagnose ist es leider schwierig festzustellen, ob du die Nieten ausbohren könntest oder die Kurbelgarnitur wechseln müsstest. Viel Erfolg in jedem Fall!
How much weight did you save by leaving off the pedals?
I weighed it both times, before and after, with the pedals attached, so none - that would be cheating ;)
any test rides ? can it go 25 mph ?
I rode it for a couple of months, but have no videos of it, sorry. It was almost as fast as a race bike, so 25mph was no problem :)
I have one of these bikes. The problem is not the weight or the shape, but the gear ratio is to low, I spin out in like 15 km/h.
Thats why I piut a bigger front chainwheel on - you can go crazy with 63teeth of even higher to get that cadence down and your speed up ;)
Look nice
any video of this actual action?
Unfortunatly not, I forgot. But I will show the next one in action!
What tires did you use? Would 28mm fit on a 35mm equipped bike?
Unfortunatly it depends on the rims, but it shoukd, yes :)
What tyres are they. Can you send a link to them and also the handlebars. Have Dahon vybe and want to turn into a road bike. Please advise! Thanks in advance
Nice video, interesting sideways mounting of that downtube shifter. This is just an 8-speed bike? Never heard of Curtis, they appear to do custom bikes only, although I don't see any folders on ther website. This looks like a clone of my Dahon Mu P24. A lot of thought went into it, I would never strip it like this. Makes more sense to keep it stock and have a seperate race bike. 700C wheels are much faster than 20" wheels could ever be.
It is in fact a 7 speed bike :) I´m of the opinion that for recreational purposes 2-3 good gears are worth more to me than 22 could with the associated weight, complexity and finances required to maintain. Curtis, Cyco, Dahon, Tern, they all seem to have the same frames done in Asia, sometimes with a different hinge mechanism (some might also be the product of so called "3rd shifts"). In germany Curtis and Cyco are sold in large department and discounter stores and can therefore be aquired quite cheaply (especially on the used market). And in terms of gaining speed the 20" wheels will outdo most normal 700C-wheels. After that most of it is gearing and aerodynamics, wherein there are no large differences. I can ride mine almost as fast on an 1 hour ride as my race bike. It also makes sense to have a light folding bike, actually more than having a light race bike if you live in an area without big climbs. Keep on riding!
Wow, I learned a whole bunch.....cutting a few grams here and there.... how about I just lose 20 pounds off my mid section? Ha ha ha. Still a great job!! Thanks. Peace Be To Journey!
try to get rid of that solid tapper BB & Crank Set and upgrade to hollow BB & Crank Set, that's will saves you another approximately 700g!! absolutely below 9kg in total weight !!!
Definetly a good idea (though I suspect that it would probably save me closer to 300-400g)! For my use case it was too much, but lets see, perhaps I´ll build one under 8 kg some day? ;)
Is it any faster?
A lot! The bigger gearing helps a lot and the more aerodynamic position of the rider with the drop bars and stem likewise. I later put even a 58T chainring on there.
@@richardware9676 do you have a 10 speed in the back?
@@matthewcain2880 I do not have the bike anymore, but it was set up as a 7 speed, original cassette. Depending on the hub you could add more gears, depending on the shifter used. That and a hollow bottom bracket and cranked would be good tuning options.
@@richardware9676 ty for getting back to me, I’m new to fixing bikes. I bought a folding bike and would like to make it faster but also be able to climb up steep hills. What chain ring size and cassette (7/10) would you recommend? Ty!
@@matthewcain2880 Sure! That will really depend on your preferences. In general I would say that going with 2 chainrings in the front will give you a better range extension towards both ends than just with a cassette - but that will also need a second shifter, front derailleur and suitable crankset plus second chainring. Other than that, get the biggest cassette you can fit on your hub (keeping in mind the size limitations of your rear derailleur) and use a gear calculator to find the right size chainring for you. Also keep in mind that with front and rear cogs beeing bigger, you will at some point need a longer chain.
It can go 6kg. I wonder it drives
Carbon fork?
Unfortunately not as this would have been quite complicated.
No top cap?
None needed, the fork is attached right over the top tube :) I have used the small space for tool storage though!
@@richardware9676 cool
Genial, magnifico trabajo
Thank you!
Could have saved another 0.10 lbs removing the hoods off those brakes
Plus pedals and a bottle. )
Of course, GCN-Style ;)
You forgot the weight savings from having no pedals.
As I have stated in another comment, I weighed it both times with pedals on - otherwise that would be cheating ;)
Man this is really creative and genius and all, but its cursed af
How so? :)
@@richardware9676 dont take me the wrong way here haahah, it just looks so uncanny, but i would love to see a video of you riding it and reviewing its performance
@@jorgexue5502 I completely understand :) Unfortunately I did not make a video riding it, but it was fully useable and quite speedy!
Pity it's not fully ergonomical lol.
It depends; the position is pretty close to my race bike one :)
2 Esdras 2 : 33
how to reduce weight.
me: take a big dump
Don't forget to chop your arm off - you only need one for riding ;)
Hi please wash and clean your bike
I did just that at the end of the Video? :)
Why even bother ?
It’s a crap base to start from.
I have a strong suspicion that these frames are beeing turned out by the same factories as Dahon and Tern - only the details are different. Anyways, do you know off a better suiting bike at 9.4 kg in Road Racer-Configuration at 1/4 the price of a Tern Verge X18?
Mentahi ja ko ni eeehhhh
Unfortunatly I don't understand that.
@@richardware9676 sama la.. aku pun nda paham juga apa yg ko buat ni.. sama mcm mentahi ja..
Saying a bike with a tank is a bad bike is pretty stupid. Nothing wrong with a bike having a stand unless you’re a gram head.
Well, I wanted to have a very light bike for travels and don't like stands from an aesthetic point of view.
I did this when I was 12. Now I've grown up xx
I hope you never stop having fun in life nevertheless ;)
@@richardware9676 Superb answer.
I've been riding this bike for about a month th-cam.com/users/postUgkxwC0IIeIomGQVeBWg-kKJaToZkLEFIA2W and a half now and I think it's fantastic. It helps me get to work on time every day since I'm able to fit it inside of public transportation rush hour. The price is great too, people are always shocked when they ask me how much I paid for the fold up and I tell them "200". It's easy to fold and installation when it ships is insanely easy. All you have to install when the bike arrives is one foot pedal, everything else is done for you. I do recommend you carry some sort of wrench to tighten any loose screws on the handle bar and seat whenever they get a little bit loose. Other than that I think it's a fantastic bike. Easily fits in the home, can fit inside a car trunk and can even fit in subway rush hour.
I've been riding this bike for about a month th-cam.com/users/postUgkxwC0IIeIomGQVeBWg-kKJaToZkLEFIA2W and a half now and I think it's fantastic. It helps me get to work on time every day since I'm able to fit it inside of public transportation rush hour. The price is great too, people are always shocked when they ask me how much I paid for the fold up and I tell them "200". It's easy to fold and installation when it ships is insanely easy. All you have to install when the bike arrives is one foot pedal, everything else is done for you. I do recommend you carry some sort of wrench to tighten any loose screws on the handle bar and seat whenever they get a little bit loose. Other than that I think it's a fantastic bike. Easily fits in the home, can fit inside a car trunk and can even fit in subway rush hour.